Not that bad at all
by ExellentlyEllen
Summary: It had been 4 days since Sara failed to protect Felicity. 4 days since HE failed Felicity. And now Sara had left.
1. Not that bad at all

This is my very first fanfic ever, so please be kind.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Arrow characters or places. The story however is completely mine.

It had been 4 days since Sara failed to protect Felicity. 4 days since HE failed Felicity. And now Sara had left.

"_I can't do this anymore Ollie. I can't keep pretending everything is okay between us, because it's not. And I'm beginning to wonder if it ever really was." _He had just stood there, with an incredulous look on his face, as she continued her monologue. _"You haven't touched me since it happened, haven't even really looked at me."_ He flinched when she mentioned 'It'. _"Ollie." _She had said, her voice softening. _"You can stop pretending now, it's alright. I know you don't love me, how can you, when there's already someone else that has a hold on your heart." "What are you talking about?" _He had asked her, a questioning look on his face. _"I'm talking about her."_ She pointed across the room, to the empty desk-chair that stood a little away from the computer desk. A chair that hadn't been sat in for 4 days. Because of 'it'. _"I could see it in the way you look at her, the way you two interact with each other, but I chose to ignore it. I could hear it in the way you talk about her. Calling her your go-to-girl. I can see it in the way you sit by her bedside, holding her hand, talking to her. And I can see it in your eyes, the blame you send my way, for not protecting her."_ He looked a little uncomfortable at that statement. Because he was, blaming her for what happened to his 'go-to-girl', his favorite IT tech, his rock. Felicity. _"That's why I'm leaving. You deserve a chance to be happy Ollie. To leave the island, once and for good. She is good for you Ollie, she balances you, brings out your lighter side. Take this chance Oliver, tell her how you feel. Live a little!"_ And with those words, she had turned around and walked out of the foundry, out of Starling City, and out of his life.

After she had gone, he had gone upstairs, sat at the bar and did some soul searching. He had searched for his soul at the bottom of a bottle of vodka and proceeded to look for it at the bottom of several other bottles. He wondered about what Sara had said. Was he really in love with Felicity? He went back in his mind looking for clues. The way they banter together. The way she could make him laugh – really laugh – with her adorable ramblings and inappropriate comments. She was kind and considerate and modest and, well, hot has hell. But she was also fragile, as was proven by her whereabouts at this very moment. He was scared of bringing her into his life, really in his life. She was strong, yes, but that was more of a mental state than a physical one. She had trained with Diggle, but that was mostly rudimental self-defense.

Diggle had come in then, finding Oliver in a less than sober state. Oliver had spilled all of his musings to his second, his friend. After that Dig had given him a stern talking to, about Felicity already being in his world, and her being a big girl, and to stop wallowing in self-pity, and to tell her honestly and have her make her own decisions. Dig had walked out after that, leaving Oliver to his hangover. And a hangover it was.

She'd gone through emergency surgery, to retrieve the 2 bullets stuck in her body. The one in her shoulder did little damage, but the one in her abdomen was a lot worse. To top it off she'd fallen on her head when she got shot, so they had to drill a hole in her head to relieve the pressure that was building. To help with the recovery, the doctors had put her in an artificial coma. Earlier in the day they had stopped the drugs that induced the coma, so she could slowly wake up.

When he arrived at the hospital, his hangover was … well, it could have been worse. He'd live. And thank god, she would too. He stood in the doorway to her room, looking at her beautiful face. He was again struck by how pale she was. He didn't realize he'd gone into pensive mode until a small voice called out to him: _"Are you going to stand there staring like a creep, or are you going to come in?"_ His breath caught, she was awake. _"When did you wake up?" "A little while ago. The nurses told me you've been at my bed for 4 days." "I was. It's my fault you're in here, and I didn't want you to be alone." "What do you mean, 'your fault'? Did I get shot by an arrow, because I distinctly remember you only shooting arrows." "You know what I mean." " Do I Oliver? Because it seems to me that you are taking blame for the actions of others, again. Didn't we talk about the whole 'world on your shoulders' bit? You are not responsible for every bad thing that happens Oliver, some things are out of your control."_

She stared at her boss, who was, again, determined to take blame for all the wrongs in Starling City. Things had just gotten a little better, with Slade being 'dealt with'. He'd exposed Slade's relationship with Isabel, which got the board to undo the CEO switch, and got Isabel thrown in jail (serves her right, that conniving little – anyway). Either way, Oliver had come out, mostly, on top. Slade was gone, he had his company back and his relationship with his mother was on the mend. The flip side of the medal was that Thea still wasn't speaking to him, Roy had left the city for god only knows where and apparently Sara had also left. Or so John had informed her when he came to visit. He didn't say why though.

And then she had to go and get herself shot. Not even on a mission. It was a ridiculous robbery gone wrong when she had left the club with Sara. Oliver had insisted she be accompanied home at all times, because they had not yet caught all the criminals Slade let out. Sara was closing up the club when the two guys came out of the shadows. They jumped her, took her purse (with her tablet full of vigilante related stuff). She had yelled for Sara, who reacted lightning fast. Jumping the guy with the purse, but not noticing the other one. The one with the gun. When she caught on, the guy had already took aim at Sara. Felicity did what she thought was right and jumped in front of Sara. Ending her up in this situation.

"_It wasn't Sara's fault, you know that right? I just…" "You just what Felicity, you just got the uncontrollable desire to feel what it is like to get shot? Sara was supposed to protect you, she's the trained assassin you know!" "Maybe I just wanted to be the hero for once. Actually help somebody, the way Sara and Diggle and you do. Maybe I just wanted to know what it meant, being the hero!" _If she had had the power to yell at Oliver, she would have. He was being a suborn ass, but then again, what did she expect from him anyway.

His deep blue eyes locked on her, softening by the sight of the bandages around her golden hair. _"You think you're not a hero? Felicity… "_ Oh, when he said her name like that, she would go weak in the knees. Good thing she was already lying down. _"Felicity… you're always a hero! You've saved my life more times than I can count. You're the voice in my head warning me, telling me to be safe, guiding me. You are the most important part of this team. Without you, we'd be running around aimlessly."_ He stepped closer, taking her hand in his. _"You are important Felicity. To the company, to the team and you are important to me. You scared me so badly, I can't even begin to describe what I felt." "I can picture it. I've felt that way to, seeing you get hurt." _

He looked at her. Her eyes were down, looking at the covers, the floor, her bedside table, anywhere but at him. She had a little color returned to her cheeks. _"Just look at all the scars you've gotten since you got back in town. Not that I look at your scars, I mean they are hard to miss with you always being half naked. Not that I notice you being shirtless although you look really good shirtless….I'll stop talking now."_ She always did this. Kept rambling on and on, making a complete fool of herself in front of her extremely sexy boss, who she had absolutely no fantasies about.

He liked it when she babbled. It gave him glimpses of what was going on inside her head.Dig was right, she was a big girl, and very capable of making her own decisions. But, did she want him? No way of knowing unless he tried. His life was so much better when she came in to it, he wanted that forever, and not strictly hood-related.

"_Felicity, I need to tell you something. But please, don't say anything 'till I'm done, because I want to get it all out."_ She nodded compliantly and waited for what it was he wanted to say. _"I know I haven't always made the most, wise decisions in the past. No, shhhht, let me finish. But I think I'm making the right decision now by telling you how I feel. I honestly don't know when it started. But I think it's been there for quite a while. I've just not wanted to admit it, because if it wasn't mutual, it would make things very awkward in the foundry. But with this happening," _he gestured at her body, covered in tubes and hoses underneath the white sheets _"I can't not say it. Because I at least want it to be known. I'm in love with you Felicity. You've captured my heart in a way that nobody else has. You challenged me to be a better person, a hero instead of just a vigilante. You make me smile, you make me angry, you drive me mad. But mostly you just make me love you, more with each word out of your mouth." _Felicity stared at her boss for a moment. Did she hear him right? It can't be, she must be still in that coma, dreaming sweet dreams of Oliver proclaiming his love to her.

He's getting worried. She's been staring at him for about two minutes, wide-eyed and totally engrossed in her own thoughts, or so it seems. He's beginning to panic a little. She's probably trying to come up with a way to let him down easy. Oh man, this was a bad idea. He shouldn't have listened to Diggle. Damn.

Getting her head together, Felicity got the distinct impression her makebelieve Oliver wanted her to respond. _"I know this is just a coma induced fantasy, but still, to finally hear those words out of your mouth, it's really amazing. Now I really don't want to wake up. This dream is amazing." "Felicity.." _Again with her name, she really really liked the way he says her name. _"You are not dreaming." _She wasn't? She tried to move, but stopped when a searing pain went through her abdomen. Right, hospital, gunshot. But, aren't you suppose to not feel pain in a dream. She wasn't dreaming. She wasn't dreaming. And Oliver just said he loved her. And, she wasn't dreaming. Oh. My. God. She blinked and looked at her boss. _"Are you okay? Do I need to call a doctor? Are you in pain?" "What? No, I'm fine. I just… I'm.. I don't…" "You don't feel the same. I get it. I.."_ Oliver started to say, but he was quickly interrupted. _"No! That's not what I mean. I'm just trying to collect my thoughts, so just give me a second okay?!"_

He closed his mouth quickly. _"I've wanted to hear you say those words for so long. I've dreamt of the where, the how and the time. But I never imagined it would be with me in a hospital bed. But that's okay. Because you finally said them. Oliver, you've brought excitement to my otherwise very nerdy life. You light up my day when you walk in, with your cool confidence and your sarcastic snips. You make me laugh because sometimes you really are a little clueless. You always try to protect me. And it's taken to long for you to finally get with the program, but that doesn't matter." _She stopped to take a breath just then. And he took advantage of the moment to plant a kiss on her lips. She was caught a little off guard, but returned the kiss. He settled himself on the bed next to her, tucking her head carefully under his chin. She sighed content. Oliver Queen loved her. And she loved him. Gunshot wounds are really not that bad. And as she drifted off to sleep, she murmured: _"not that bad at all."_

The end, for now. If y'all would like a sequel, just let me know in the comments. Hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Best Night Ever

**So, with a few people following this story, (and me apparently) I take that as a sign that my story was liked and that a follow up chapter was liked . I've had so many stories in my head, and can't really put into words how awesome I feel when I get those 'put into favorites' and 'following' mails in my inbox. Please keep sending me your reviews, and your likes, and I'll reward you with new chapters (or new stories )**

When she woke up, he was gone. With her eyes searching the room, she wondered if it hadn't really been a dream. It could have been, it's not like she's never had a dream about Oliver before. But then, as she reached for her glasses on the table by the bed, she noticed a single red rose and a note.

_Felicity,_

_I didn't want to wake you, but I had some work to do. I'll be back tonight. Don't do anything I wouldn't do._

_-Oliver_

She snorted. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. That meant little, coming from a guy who had done just about anything, at least once. But she caught the underlying sentiment. She thought.

She let her mind go back to the previous night. A little smile tugged at her lips. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and cringed when a bobbing pain shot through her head. _Oh, right, shaking one's head after surgery, not the best of ideas. _

He was at his desk, staring at hers. He'd come up to do some work. A little damage control in the wake of what Isabel and Slade had done. But it was hard keeping himself concentrated. Especially when he was looking at her empty desk. He wondered if she was awake already. If she saw his note. If he should call or text. Now that he finally admitted to her, and to himself that he needed her, there was no going back. He needed her always, to help him cope, to ground him, to remind him.

She really knew the Oliver underneath the personas. He wasn't solely the billionaire CEO of QC or the vigilante with her. He was both, and something more. Even though she didn't yet know all about those 5 years, she'd never push him to spill it all. Despite the curiosity he knew she had. Curiosity was as much a part of Felicity as was her glasses and her tablet. She'd let him share with her on his own terms, and he was unendingly grateful for that.

After mindlessly staring for what felt like hours (but was in fact only about 15 minutes) he took out his phone.

_OQ: you awake yet?_

_FS: yes, I got awoken by a cranky nurse holding something that she described as breakfast._

_OQ: what would you describe it as?_

_FS: dirt on toast._

He laughed when he read that. It's true, hospital food was rarely edible, and Starling Memorial's food definitely fell in the inedible category.

_OQ: how about I bring over real dinner with me tonight, and we talk a little._

_FS: nothing good ever follows 'we need to talk'_

_OQ: unless it's 'we need to talk' with delicious dinner. Don't worry so much!_

_FS: can't help it. Nothing to do here but worry._

Oliver pondered about that a while. It was true, when Felicity had noting on her hands, she tended to go into pessimist mode. Well, he was just going to have to provide her with an adequate amount of distractions to keep her busy today.

*knock knock*  
She looked up to see John standing in her doorway. A little smile formed on her lips when she saw what he was carrying.

"_So I've heard somebody is going a little stir-crazy in here?"  
"Now, where would you get a crazy idea like that. Me? Stir-crazy? Never!" _She let out a little giggle, and John chuckled.

"_What did you bring me?"  
"Well, your laptop of course. And a blueberry muffin, and a cup of hot chocolate."  
"No coffee?"_ she pouted. She'd been dying for a little caffeine jump.  
_"No coffee. I've been told caffeine and head injuries don't mix to well, so I figured cocoa would be best."  
"Oh, right. Head injury. I keep forgetting that."_ She absentmindedly rubbed the back of her head with one hand, while taking the chocolate in the other. She glanced behind John, wondering if there was going to be another guest. When she saw the hallway was empty, her shoulders fell a bit.

"_He's coming over later today."  
"Hmm.. Who? What are you talking about?!" _Damn that John, always the observant man.  
_"Oliver. That's who you were looking for, isn't it?"  
"I haven't got the slightest idea what you mean. Why would Oliver be here at this moment at my bed? Not that I think he doesn't care that I'm in here, because I do think he cares. Not for me per se but about me being here…" _She sighed. Always that damn babbling. She looked up to see John staring at her, an amused look in his eyes. Uhow, this was going to get awkward. Well, more awkward.

"_Felicity. I might not be on the same level of genius as you are, but I am not a foolish man. Nor am I a blind one. And I most certainly can read between the proverbial lines." _She looked up at him, a little confused.  
_"I would never ever say you aren't a smart man John, because I know you are very, if indeed not as tech-savvy. But what proverbial lines are we talking about, exactly?"  
"Well, let's see. Oliver calling me at eight this morning, asking me to bring the spare clothes he has at the foundry. Oliver changing in the bathroom at the office. Oliver asking me to bring you something to do and something to eat. And, most of all, Oliver not being his moody self this morning. The morning after I told him to put on his big-boy-boots and come clean about his feelings."_

"_Big-boy-boots?" _Felicity giggled again. The things John could get away with, saying to Oliver, would never cease to amaze her.  
_"Did you really say that? To Oliver? The Oliver we both know? The one with the very short fuse and a mean right hook?"  
"I did. Granted, he was a little hung over at the time, so his right hook didn't scare me as much at that time."_

She looked at John, wide grin on her face. She was so going to use that against Oliver, every chance she would have.

"_So you know?"  
"I know enough. And it's not really my business per se, except for the parts that happen around the foundry. But you both need the chance to figure – whatever this is- out between yourselves. You make each other better Felicity. Embrace that."_

And with that said, he squeezed her shoulder and left the room. And she was left staring at the now empty space in her room. John Diggle might be a lot of things, but foolish, no she would never ever use that word to describe him. She shook her head, gently this time and focused on her blueberry muffin. And her laptop, oh boy, did she miss her laptop.

Oliver looked up to the upper right corner of his screen. 7 pm. That was a respectable hour to leave one's office, wasn't it? He'd gotten to work after those texts to Felicity, because working would make the time go faster. He'd hoped. And he'd been right. When he got into it, he kept going, not even bothering to have lunch. And now, most of his work was done, and he could go home for the weekend. Home, would mean, in this instance, the hospital. Where Felicity was. His home, or so he hoped. They had had a conversation about his living arrangements before she got shot.

He thought back to that day, before she had left the 'lair' as she so affectionately put it.  
_"You know, you should really get your own place." _She had startled him with her words, having been lost in his training.

"_Hu, what?" _he replied, while picking up a towel and moving a little closer to her.

"_Well. With all that's been going on with your mother and Thea, you've been sleeping in the lair. And, granted, a man of your age should really not be living with his mother anymore, not that there is anything wrong with a grown man still living with his mother… " _She stopped to take a breath, and get her foot out of her mouth.

"_What I mean is. People are going to start to wonder where Oliver Queen sleeps, now that he is not living at the mansion anymore. We don't want them to take to close a look at the club now do we? Besides, having a house or apartment of your own, is what normal people our age tend to do."_

He had thought about that. She had a point, he didn't want people wondering what Oliver Queen was up to at night, and having a place to go to would certainly help with the appearance he was trying to keep up toward the public.

"_I've sort of found the perfect building while I was scanning the neighborhood." _He had looked up at that statement. A questioning look crossed his face as she motioned him closer. _"It's not that far from here, an empty warehouse you could transform into a loft." _She'd been putting a lot of thought in this, he figured.

"_What's so special about this particular building?" _He'd asked her, looking a little skeptical.  
_"Well, for one, it's not far from Verdant, and of course the lair. It's in a neighborhood that is being developed and there are at least 5 A list Starling City residents that have commissioned a warehouse repurposing in the last 3 months. The building I'm referring to is also already property of QC, so no need to actually buy the building. But, the most important reason of all: It links with Verdant by way of decommissioned overflow tunnels, so you could travel between the two buildings unseen."_

He shook out of his musings, and logged off the computer. While he hadn't looked into the warehouse, because of the shooting, he had made contact with a contractor. He was going to meet the man on Monday. He couldn't wait to tell Felicity. But first, Chinese food!

She'd been napping a little in the late afternoon, because, let's face it, who didn't want to take a nap in the afternoon. But she woke when an amazing smell wafted through her room. Without opening her eyes she took a little whiff. Chinese food. Her favorite. She would have been amazed he knew that, if they hadn't spent so many late nights eating take out in the lair.

"_You like?" _His voice startled her a little, because of its proximity. She didn't hear him come so close to her, but then again, half of his activities were centered around stealth. She opened one eye, so see Oliver leaning over her, just inches away from her face. A smile crept over his mouth, and he dipped to place a sweet, soft kiss on her lips.

"_Hi." _He murmured, pulling back and sitting on her bed, facing her.  
_"Hi. Can you wake me up like that every time?"_ She asked him softly.  
_"With Chinese food, or with a kiss?"  
"Well, as much as I like Chinese food, I really have no desire to eat that at 7 in the morning, so I guess I was referring to that kiss."  
"Good to know you want me around for future awakenings." _He smiled that breathtaking smile at her and her breath caught a little.

He liked that look on her face. He couldn't get enough of it. And he especially liked that it was he who made her look that way. The awe and love that shined in her eyes even made him a little soft in the knees.

"_Only if you want to be. I mean, I'm not pressuring you or anything, you only just told me your feelings yesterday and I wouldn't want you to…" _He had placed a finger on her lips, to stop her rambling. Usually he really loved her ramblings, but she sounded a little insecure right at that moment.

He looked her in the eyes and softly said: _"I would move heaven and earth to be able to kiss you every morning, noon and night and all times in between. Whether it is to wake you up, to say goodnight, or just to show you my feelings, when I can't put them in to words." _

Wow. Just, Wow. When he says things like that, it makes everything really silent in her otherwise very noisy brain. All her worries and doubts disappeared and there was only him and her. She leaned forward and placed a hand on either cheek. She looked at him, diving deep into those blue pools and said: _"How about you start right now." _

He placed a peck on her lips, and one on her cheek and said: _"Well, I wouldn't want all that food to go to waste." _He straightened up, got of the bed and brought over the bag of deliciousness that he left on the table by the window. He put everything in front of her on the tray table by her bed. He needed a little distance, because, the feelings and desires he had coursing through him at that moment, were really not going to help her to heal. And god knows, he needed her to heal.

They settled in for dinner, chatted about everything and anything. About the warehouse and his soon to be loft. About movies and shows and everything in between. And it was good. The best night ever. Best. Night. Ever.


	3. No Physical Activities

**Okey, how about it you guys, another chapter? I'm writing this, while I'm babysitting my 2 nieces (2.5 and 1 years old so adorable) and I got all these crazy Olicity baby ideas from hanging with them . Don't know if they will come into play in later chapters, or just new stories.. what do you guys think? Hit me up in the comments for your, greatly appreciated comments!**

**PS: I'm trying a new layout style, and if it works better, I'll change the previous chapters too, so please let me know if it's better!**

* * *

He was standing in the hallway, outside of her room, talking to her doctor. Well, her doctor was talking, and he was listening. Sort of. He'd stood there 2 times already, hoping to take her home. Getting those hopes crushed by words such as 'white blood cell count', 'lingering infection' and 'distended abdomen'. He really hoped this time would be different. He shifted his focus back on the man standing in front of him.

"… no more signs of infection, so I see no reason to keep her here any longer." Finally, the words Oliver had been waiting for. "I can take her home?" he asked, still a little apprehensive. "Yes, I have the discharge papers with me now, so after she signs them, she can go." At that Oliver did a mental fist pump, much like the ones Felicity does when she cracked something. On the outside however, Oliver remained calm.

Together they entered Felicity's room. She was on the bed, fully dressed and fully packed. She had a hopeful look in her eyes. She'd also had her hopes crushed 2 times before. But now she was actually feeling a lot better. Well, maybe not 'a lot' per se, but at least good enough to leave this place. She was really tired of the smell of disinfectant, and if she had to stare at that stupid white painted wall one more second, she was going to go insane. Or climb out of the window, which for her, would pretty much equal insane.

* * *

So, she had packed her stuff, accumulated over the past 2 weeks and got dressed. Figuring that they wouldn't dare tell her she had to stay, when she was clearly ready to go.  
"Ms Smoak, ready to go I see. Well, your blood tests came back all clear, so you are free to leave. But, remember that you are not quite fully healed. So I would recommend you stay off your feet as much as possible, keep the wounds dry and certainly no … physical activities … for at least another two weeks." When he said that last bit, his gaze flicked between Felicity and Oliver in a knowing way. This caused Felicity's cheeks to turn a bright crimson, and Oliver to look a little embarrassed. Well, physical activities or no, he could still take Felicity home. And he could certainly wait a little while longer, he'd been waiting for this long.

* * *

"Oliver Jonas Queen! You put me down, and put me down right this instance!" She was using her Loud Voice. She got a little scary when she used that voice. Not that he would ever admit that to her.

"Felicity, the doctor said so himself, as little time on your feet as possible."  
A nurse had rolled her out to the car in a wheelchair, which she did not like. But it was standard procedure, or so they had told her. Oliver had lifted her gently in the car, and she had liked that. But, when he lifted her out of the car at her apartment, and then refused to let her go and walk herself, she'd gotten mad. She was a fully grown woman, very capable of walking the 4 damn steps up to her own front door, 3 more steps to her elevator and then 20 more steps through the door of her apartment and onto her sofa. But he wouldn't hear of it. So she had used her Loud Voice.

She knew very well that he was scared of it, at least a little. And John to, for that matter. It might be because she really didn't use it that often. And it would always come as a surprise to them.  
"I don't care what the doctor said! I've been in that stupid hospital for over two weeks, and I _need_ to walk myself!"

'Felicity.." He said pleading, but he knew she wouldn't listen. No amount of reasoning would help when she was in this kind of state. So, he tried something else. "How about, you walk up to the front door and to the elevator. And then I'll pick you up, and carry you down to your apartment. It's the best compromise I can offer you." She sighed. If she didn't agree with that, he'd just carry her up anyway, her protests an screams be damned.

"Fine! But just so you know, I will be hating it all the way up there!" She was overstating that a bit. Because, injured or not, being carried by Oliver was really nice. And safe. And warm. But, she'd just made such a big deal about not wanting to be carried, she couldn't just fold now.

He gently put her down on her feet. And she took a tentative step forward. She stumbled a bit, but his hands were on her hips, steadying her before she could fall. "I'm fine Oliver, I promise, it's just been a while." She took another step, feeling a little more confident. Oliver offered her his arm, to lean on while taking the 4 small steps up to her front door. Once in the elevator, Oliver scooped her back up. And walked her into her apartment, putting her down on her couch.

* * *

Felicity didn't know what to expect at her homecoming. Maybe a welcome home banner? John hiding in the corner, waiting to yell 'Surprise'? But when Oliver flipped the light switch, there was nothing. A big fat load of nothing. Her face fell, and Oliver had noticed. He came rushing over to her. "What's wrong? Why do you look upset? Aren't you glad to be home?"

"Of course I'm glad to be home. The smell of decaying pizza is way better than antiseptic." She'd ordered pizza the night before she got shot. She had kept some leftovers for the next day, but then proceeded to get shot. So they must be disgusting by now. But there was no smell. In fact, her apartment looked cleaner now than when she moved in to it. Her eyes went over every surface. Not a speck of dust, no take out containers on the dining room table. No empty glasses and bowls of popcorn on the side table.

"Oliver, what happened to my apartment?" She asked, suppressing a giggle. She was just imagining Oliver wearing one of those fluffy pink aprons and skipping around her apartment with a duster. "I had it cleaned, so you'd have a place to come home to with a distinct lack of decaying pizza smell." "Oh… Thanks." Well, him in the apron, it was too good to be true anyways.

* * *

Oliver moved to sit beside her on the couch, holding a very nicely wrapped box. He'd noticed, when he let the cleaning crew in, there weren't any pictures in Felicity's living room. He'd been curious, so he'd stepped into her bedroom to check there. He had found a few pictures of 'Team Arrow' as she liked to call them. One of him and Dig shaking hands. One of her and him talking. And one of her and Dig standing together with very wide grins on their faces, staring at Oliver. Clearly these pictures were from the security camera's around QC headquarters. They were grainy at best. So he got an idea.

"That for me?" She asked, pointing to the pretty box. Felicity might not like surprises all that much, she did like presents. He handed her the box with that lopsided grin on his face, and she couldn't help but smile back. She opened the present and gasped. Inside were 3 pictures, in beautiful silver frames. One was of Oliver, John and her posing together at the last QC Christmas party. The other one was of her and John hugging after he gave her a birthday present. And the final one, the best one of all, was one of Oliver and her. Dancing at one of the many gala type things they had to go to. He had asked her to dance, to save her from dancing with one of the investors. Who was really _really_ big and smelled of cabbage.

"Oh, Oliver. These are wonderful! Thank you so much." And she threw her arms around her boss/boyfriend (maybe?) and kissed him deeply, to show her gratitude. He smiled while he pulled away. "How about a movie before bed?" He got up and popped in a random DVD, sat back on the couch and tried to tuck her under his arm. He looked down to her face, seeing a frown and a pout. Both ridiculously cute. "What's wrong?" He asked. "Nothing, I just wasn't in the mood for a movie. I had other plans." At that, her cheeks turned red, and she let out a barely audible sigh. He smiled at that, imagining what her plans might be. He figured he would like those plans. Then he remembered the doctors words. No 'physical activities', and he growled. "Later." He said. "We've got all the time in the world."

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**So, i'm sorry this isn't a very long chapter. My niece really didn't feel like sleeping last night, so it took me a while to get her down. And don't worry, i'm already working on Ch 4 (because it's sunday and i really have nothing else to do :) ) and i'm also working on one of those '5 times' stories.**

******I hope you guys like it though, so hit me up in the comments with suggestions, request,...  
**


	4. The morning after

**So, this next chapter got pushed back a little, because of the others that kept bubbling up inside of me, that didn't really fit here. (check out 'the songs we sing, the lyrics we live by for those stories)**

**But, I wouldn't dream of neglecting this story, so we'll continue, the morning after. A little moment of peace, before the **_**'how'**_** questions will pop up…**

* * *

When Felicity woke up, she had to orientate herself for a minute. It had been over 2 weeks since she had slept in her own bed and it felt different to her somehow. It might be because of the time she spent in the hospital. Or, maybe, just maybe it was because of the man lying next to her.

She didn't think it would affect her this much. After all, she'd been seeing Oliver half naked for the past two years. But the sight of Oliver next to her, in her bed, in his boxer shorts, well, that really was something else. She decided she rather liked the view.  
His face looked relaxed, a sight she can't remember ever seeing before. She let out a little sigh. He had said he loved her. And she'd seen in his eyes he'd meant it.

That didn't mean it would be easy though. She knew fully well it would be hard. And challenging (they were both pigheaded as hell). And even though she loved him back, there might be times when they would want to call it quits. But they were both fighters. The times they would fight each other would be dwarfed by the times they would fight _for_ each other.

"Are you going to sit there, staring at me like a creep?" He asked, mirroring the words she had said to him when she woke in the hospital. He hadn't moved, his breathing never changed, and he most certainly hadn't opened his eyes. How that man knew even half the things he did was beyond her.

"I'm not staring like a creep, thank you very much! I'm just getting intimately acquainted with your face… and other parts." She got one eye to open at that statement. That one eye looked at her very intensely. Hungry even. Felicity felt a blush creep to her cheeks.

He loved that blush on her cheeks. He loved to put that blush on her cheeks. And he loved that it usually only took one look.

He shifted a little, so she could snuggle up close beside him. He remembered the night before. Her falling to sleep after about 5 seconds of the movie. He'd picked her up gently, and had laid her on the bed. After about 2 minutes of _should I, shouldn't I_, he decided she wouldn't mind if he slept next to her. And he needed her close.

And by the look he'd felt moving up and down, inspecting every inch of his body, he knew he'd made the right choice.

If every morning was like this, he'd get used to it very fast.

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**I know I know, it's ridiculously short, but it's supposed to be a little moment, in between moments. A little filler to get to the hard parts.**

**Y'all didn't think this was going to go smooth as roses did you?**

**I will write the next chapter soon, I promise.. just got to keep you on the edge of your seats…**

**Oh, I'll make you guys a deal, the more likes/follows/comments I get, the longer the next chapter will be!**


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